A llama, a llama, my kingdom for a llama

I have come to the conclusion that my grandson may be a llama.


There is a field behind our house. It is inhabited by some of our neighbors’ livestock. On any given day, you can see horses, ponies, donkeys, mules and now, a llama. The llama is one of a pair. His mate has given birth and he has been turned out to pasture to help protect the baby.


He mingles with the herd, all of whom have been together for at least 5 years. They travel together, moseying and munching through the day. I have never seem them fight. But occasionally, the equine livestock will be somewhere in the pasture and the llama will be alone, on top of the Bandini mountain, surveying his kingdom(s), both real and imagined.


Lil Man went to football camp this summer. This was when he was still Lil Man and not Moose, yet. It is open to 3rd through 6th graders so this was his first year. Lil Man is healthy and wiry and fairly well coordinated. What he is not is stocky. Slight comes to mind. Slim comes to mind. Skinny, undernourished (though he’s not) and orphanish come to mind.


We watched him for about an hour one day. The camp is conducted by the high school football coaches. Lil Man was engaged, he was attentive, he was well-behaved and he actually kicked the football! He just looked sort of like he didn’t belong - like a llama in a herd of little bulls.